Improved die for making cans



UNITED STATES FFICE@ PATENT JAMES L. GRAY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO F. M. HAY AND M. L. AND M. A. GRAY, OF SAME PLAGE IMPROVED DIE FOR MAKING CANS.

Spccilication forming part ot' Letters Patent No. 63,503, (lated April 2, 1867.

To ull. whom fit may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES L. GRAY, of the city and county of Baltimore, State of lWIary land, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dies for Making Preserve- Gans 5 and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference bein ghad to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are sectional views of two dies which are used for producing a grooved ilange upon one end of each can. Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of the same dies arranged for producing the grooved iianges upon cans having one end flanged. Fig. 5 is a top view of the die of Fig. 1 contracted. Fig. G is a top View of this die expanded. Figs. 7 and S are top views ot' the die of Fig. 2 contracted and expanded.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to certain new and improved dies which are designed for produc- ,ing grooved ianges upon both ends of preserve-cans, which flanges are adapted for receiving the cap and bottom plates of the cans, and also a sufiicient quantity of solder to cover the joints of said plates, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

The dies and stamps represented in Figs. l, 4, 5, and 6, are adapted for turning over the ends ofthe cylindrical bodies of the cans, and the dies represented in Figs. 2, 3, 7, and S are adapted for finishing the iauges thus formed by producing grooves or channels in them. The tirst operation is conducted with the die and stamp represented in Figs. 1, 5, and 6.

The die A is of a cylindro-conical form, and consists of a number of upright segments or sections, B B, which are attached by pivots or eyes a ce to a base-piece, G, so that the segments can be expanded and contracted at their upper ends, for a purpose which will bc hereinafter explained.

Springs b may be inserted into the base C, for the purpose of pressing the ripper ends of the segments together, as shown in Fig. 5,

when the stamp D is removed from the upper end ofthe die.

The upper corner of the die A is beveled at the angle required for the flanges c, on the cans L, and the top face of this die is tlat, with a central depression, d, in it for receiving the conical expanding-plug c, which is formed on the stamp-head D, as shown in the drawings. The lower end of the die A has a iiange or base-piece, g,forined on it, which should be of greater diameter than the can-body, for sustaining this can-bcdy during the formation of the flange upon its upper end.

The stamp D is a counterpart of the upper end ofthe dieA, anditis constructed with a rim, D', which serves as a guide and also incloses the end of the can-body during the turning over of the fiange. This stamp-head may b'e applied to a reciprocating rod, which is acted upon by means ot' levers, screws, or other mechanical power which may be found convenient. The upper port-ion of the die A should be constructed with reference toa given diameter of cylinder, so that when the plug c, which projects from the center of the bottom face of the stamp-head, enters the central depression in the top ofthe die, as shown in Fig. l, the sections A will be fully expanded and will all be pressed firmly against the inner surface of the can-body or cylinder L, thus holding the latter tirmly during the formation ofthe iiange c.

The can-body with its iiange formed on it is removed from the die A and placed over the die A', for producing a groove in the flange c, and thus nishing one end. This groovingdie is of the form and construction of the iian ging-die, with the exception that this grooving or finishing die has a channel, 1'., formed in its upper face and near its outer edge, which receives the metal impressed by the angular rib j, which is formed on the lower face of the stamp-head D2, as shown in Fig. 2.

The same dies and stamps are used for producing the grooved iianges upon the opposite ends of the cans; and in order to compensate for the reduced length ot the cans after one end has been iinished, I employ movable rings J, of the proper thickness, which are slipped over the ends of the dies and sustained upon the cylindrical bases g g thereof, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. By contracting the dies A A near their lower ends, these dies will receive on them a can, after one end has been flanged, to allow of the anging or nishing of the other end, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4; and by constructing the dies of expanding segments as described they will admit of the application and removal of l[he flanged cans.-

If desirable a Han ge may be formed and completed on one end of a can by means of solid dies of the proper form; but it will be necessary Lo employ expansible dies to form the flange on the opposite end of such can. I prefer to employ two expansible dies, as described, so that the anges c can be formed on both ends of the can upon one die, Fig. 1, and these flanges grooved upon the other die, Fig. 2, the

only change required being the use of the baserings J upon the dies after one end of a can has been finished.

Havingdescribed myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Expanding dies A A and stamp-heads D D2, constructed and operating substantially as described.

2. The rings J, in connection with the expanding dies A A', substantially in the lnan ner and for the purpose described.

JAMES L. GRAY.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS M. HAY, R. T. CAMPBELL. 

